Dialogue in therapy : an interpretative-phenomenological analysis of counselling psychologists' accounts
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- Title
- Dialogue in therapy : an interpretative-phenomenological analysis of counselling psychologists' accounts
- Creator
- Beate Schieffelbein
- Date
- 2020
- Abstract
- Counselling psychology research has highlighted the link between strong therapeutic alliances and positive treatment outcomes, with an emphasis on collaboration in therapy (Branch & Dryden, 2012; Farber 2000; Gamsu, 2008; Langs, 1998; Norcross et al., 2002, Strong et al., 2008; Westbrook et al., 2011; Woolfe et al., 2003). Existing empirical research on collaborative language systems and dialogical therapy originated in disciplines such as psychiatry, pedagogy, family therapy and couples therapy (Anderson, 1995; Morgan & Guilherme, 2010; Seikkula, 2003, Strong et al., 2008; Wegerif, 2008). In counselling psychology, a truthful dialogue between client and therapist is viewed as beneficial to therapy and the therapeutic alliance (van Deurzen & Adams, 2011; Lysaker & Lysaker, 2006; Spinelli, 2007, p. 62). This study investigates the lived experience of dialogue in therapy from a counselling psychology perspective, intending to provide information that helps us to understand how dialogical communication affects therapy and the therapeutic alliance. Eight participants who trained and work in the field of counselling psychology gave semi-structured interviews about their subjective experience of therapy dialogues with clients. The transcripts were analysed using the qualitative research method interpretative-phenomenological analysis (IPA); this produced twelve themes with three superordinate themes. Participants described a difficult 'labour' of reaching the point of dialogue and how this prompted them to come out of their shells. In addition, participants described how having a dialogue shaped their therapeutic relationships and therapy outcomes. The findings in this study suggest that having a dialogue brings the therapist into focus, as well as intersubjectivity in therapy and connection-building potentials of therapist self-disclosure. The limitations of this study and the implications for counselling psychology research, training and practice are discussed at the end of this thesis.
- Subject
- Counselling
- Psychotherapy
- Psychology
- Extent
- 199 pages
- Format
- Publisher
- Regent's University London
- degree
- DPsych Psychotherapy and Counselling
- Description
- Awarding body: University of Wales
- EThOS ID: 829205
- Language
- English
- Date Issued
- 2020
- Type
- Thesis & Dissertation
- Rights Holder
- Beate Schieffelbein and Regent's University London
- Item sets
- Theses or Dissertation